Study Reveals Billions of Pounds of Breast Cancer-Linked Chemicals Released into U.S. Air Annually
A new analysis of federal pollution records, conducted by researchers at Silent Spring Institute and the University of California, Berkeley, indicates that over 2 billion pounds of chemicals identified as potential breast cancer risks were emitted into the U.S. air in 2020 alone. The study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, tracked 920 chemicals previously linked to breast cancer risk through government databases on production, use, and pollution. It found that 143 of these chemicals were manufactured or imported in quantities exceeding 1 million pounds in 2019, with some exceeding 5 billion pounds. These chemicals are not obscure, appearing in consumer products, food, drinking water, pesticides, medicines, and building materials. For instance, five chemicals—styrene, acetaldehyde, benzene, dichloromethane, and 1,3-butadiene—accounted for over 90% of total air emissions reported through a federal pollution tracking program, with acetaldehyde alone making up more than 66% of these ...
